natural phenomenon, the Lune Deep, making it a safety port to take in fog by sounding—a thing having no parellel in England.
- * * * * * What changes have we witnessed here since
1842? I have seen your population without employment, and now there is more work than there are hands to perform—the wages from one shilling a day have advanced to two shillings and sixpence and three shillings; then indeed was your port without a ship, now there is a general demand for more quay room, although since then upwards of 1,000 feet have been added to the wharfage; then your railway receipts were £100, this year they have attained £1,500 per week." This unfortunate gentleman was killed in the June following, through a collison on the London and North Western Railway; and there can be no hesitation in affirming that, had his career of usefulness and activity not been thus prematurely cut short, the trade of Fleetwood would have developed, in the long period which has elapsed since his death, into something more important than it presents to day.
The following authentic returns of the whole business of the port in 1846 forms a favourable comparison with those of 1840, the year in which the railway was opened, when they amounted to 57,051 tons of imports, the exports being proportionately small:—
COASTING.
Imports. Exports.
1846. January 59 ships 11,564 tons. 59 ships 11,875 tons.
" February 60 " 11,251 " 62 " 11,208 "
" March 72 " 11,252 " 70 " 11,289 "
" April 63 " 10,971 " 66 " 11,098 "
" May 61 " 11,539 " 121 " 11,790 "
" June 61 " 10,637 " 97 " 14,715 "
" July 81 " 13,413 " 94 " 14,274 "
" August 80 " 13,194 " 93 " 16,042 "
" September 94 " 13,515 " 65 " 11,609 "
" October 64 " 11,472 " 71 " 13,158 "
" November 63 " 11,094 " 51 " 8,619 "
" December 41 " 7,785 " not obtained.
- -
799 ships 137,687 tons. 849 ships 135,677 tons.
Foreign 24 " 6,935 " 13 " 2,703 "
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Total 823 ships 144,622 tons. 862 ships 138,380 tons.
The animated appearance of the harbour was described in 1846 by a gentleman connected with the town, as here quoted:—*
